Heartbreak Warfare
by DearSweetPapercut
Summary: "Bravo Sara...You've abandoned another man that's in love with you..." Greg clapped slowly before turning away from her to retrieve the bottle of whiskey from the coffee table.


Again- rough day at work needed to get it all out of my system hence this!

Hope you all like it please review- I'll love you a great deal.

Title- all credits to John Mayer (for an amazing, inspirational album!)

Disclaimer: I own zilch

**Heartbreak Warfare**

The sound of the telephone broke through the haze of the whiskey; forcing Greg to pull his body upright and focus on the room. His lips were dry, like chalk, sand and sawdust, which was ironic considering how much fluid had passed them in the last few hours. He answered the phone with few words not expecting anyone he cared about on the other side but it was the sound of her voice that shocked his system to the core.

"Don't hang up...Please...don't..." Sara's voice sounded more broken than he had ever heard her before and as much as he wanted to stop her talking he found himself remaining on the other end of the line waiting to hear what it was she had to say.

"What do you want?" He growled taking a sip from the bottle of whiskey in his hand realising he needed more alcohol to be able to cope with whatever she was planning on bringing his way. It had been two years since they had last spoken.

"I want you." Her voice was small- she was scared of his response- it was more than clear she was nervous about how he would react after all of these years.

"Sorry...I think you might have called the wrong number..." He gave a short humourless laugh alongside taking another swing from the bottle.

"Well you please let me in..." She took a deep breath as if she were attempting to stop herself from crying. "It's raining out here..."

"That's none of my concern" He said in a dead pan voice making it more than clear that he didn't care anymore- there were few things she could say to make him care after all of this time.

"Greg I'm standing on your door step at Two AM in my wedding dress can you please let me in?" she snapped her voice filled with an emotion he didn't fully understand.

Greg didn't say a word hanging up the phone pulling himself to his unsteady feet before making his way over to the front door. He didn't want to open it. He didn't want to see her. With a sigh he swung the door open.

Sara stood on the steps and let her hand drop limply to her side. Dark strands of hair clung to her face as the rain beat down on her; the streetlights highlighted the tiny gems nestling amongst what had once probably been curls.

Mascara streaked down her face, following the tracks of her tears before being washed away by the rain. Her chest heaved as a sob overwhelmed her- she looked at him with such pleading he couldn't really help but step aside and let her into his home.

She could probably smell the whiskey on his breath and see what the last two years had done to him but she didn't show it. She simply stepped inside, her sodden white heels clicking on the wooden floors and water dripping from her dress creating a puddle on the floor.

He had pictured her in her wedding dress before; he had pictured how radiant she would look when she walked down the aisle- the gentle smile that would cross her face, the sparkle in her eyes. He never pictured it would be with another man and he had never pictured her looking like this. The fabric clung to her body, streaked with dirt and oil as she had run to him. He wondered what had gone through her head in those moments when she decided to leave a man at the altar, the man she was supposedly too in love with to hurt. The man she had left him for.

It had been 730 days since he had last seen her. It had been 17520 hours since he had last heard her voice. She'd been telling him that she needed to clear her head and without another word to him disappeared out of his bedroom door. Greg had waited. Like always. But she hadn't returned- she hadn't answered his phone calls and all of his attempts at finding her had been in vain.

It had been the night of Warrick's funeral. Neither one of them could explain how it had happened. But they had found themselves in bed together. They had found themselves attempting to forget all of the pain that seemed to be consuming them with passion. But that one try at dulling the hurt had brought along so much more. That one night had done damage that neither one of them were sure they could undo.

"I left him. I just left him there at the altar. I couldn't do it. I turned around...I walked out...of my own wedding..." Sara seemed to be attempting to rationalise what it was that she had done but realising that it didn't make sense.

"Bravo Sara...You've abandoned another man that's in love with you..." Greg clapped slowly before turning away from her to retrieve the bottle of whiskey from the coffee table.

Sara could feel a lump build up in her throat as she noticed the way his speech slurred, the stagger of each step he took and the over powering smell of whiskey that surrounded them. Casting a glance over the empty bottles that covered almost every surface in the room she turned back to him.

Greg had never been a drinker- he had never been one to find solace at the bottom of a bottle. And it struck Sara how wrong it was for her to think that he would be the same person now. He looked exhausted. He had always been clean shaven- no matter how many hours he had to work- but stubble had crept across his jaw and cheeks. His eyes were blood shot and Sara wondered when the last time he'd gotten any sleep had been.

"Have you been drinking?" She asked in a meek voice knowing that it was a stupid question and that Greg would not let her get away with pointing out the obvious.

"Well done Sara... I see your observational skills haven't been lost" He laughed again offering her the bottle. She took the bottle from his hand swallowing a mouthful of the fiery liquid not taking her eyes off Greg.

"Another three bottles of that and you won't feel it anymore" he chuckled humourlessly. "You won't feel anything anymore"

"What happened to you?" Sara narrowed her eyes slightly as she attempted to accept the change that had taken place.

"You Sara...You happened to me" he spat, nothing but resentment escaping his lips.

"I'm sorry... I don't know how many times I can tell you..." Her voice wavered as she saw anger glistening in his eyes.

"Tell me what Sara? That you used me? That it was easy to discard me and run for the hills? That you didn't care for me at all?" he sighed, crossing the room in search of another bottle.

"I...didn't use you Greg...it was just sex..." Sara realised that defended her actions was the only thing she could think to do.

"Not for me" he stated, mostly to the new bottle in his hand so that he didn't have to meet her eye and face up to the honesty.

"What do you want from me?" She held up her hands in defeat.

"I just wanted you- this whole time. I've wasted my life waiting on you and when I finally gave up... here you are!" He shouted wanting her to realise what she'd done to him.

"It looks like you've given up on everything..." She replied darkly.

"That's because I have" he took a long swig of the bottle, barely even registering the burning in his throat. This was his anaesthesia.

"Why, Greg? Why screw up your whole life?" She wanted more than anything to understand.

"I don't have a life, what is there to screw up?" Greg sounded astounded at her question.

"What are you talking about... you could have moved on... met someone else..."

"I don't want anyone else" he sighed, finally meeting her eye "you should just go"

"I don't want to..." she shrugged moving towards him.

Greg didn't say a word in response closing the space between them pressing his lips against Sara's pulling her body flush against his. His hands traced slow circles on her back and before he could stop her she had begun unbuttoning his shirt. Drawing her nails across his chest Sara slid the fabric away from his shoulders.

"Sara...Stop..." Greg pushed her away, rubbing his eyes attempting to clear his head and sober up.

"What's wrong?" Sara asked smoothing her dress.

"I can't do this..." He shook his head. "Not until you look me in the eye and tell me that you're not going to leave me...not this time..."

She took a deep breath stepping towards him again- taking Greg's hands in her own- her heart fluttering unevenly in her chest.

"I promise I won't leave you... Not now...not ever" Sara whispered to him. She stood on her tip toes kissing him softly.


End file.
